The project - led by Ellen Simmons, with support from Dr Catherine Longford, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) Access Fund Catalyst - is one of five new initiatives announced by the AHRC.
The team will investigate the diet and seasonal practices of the builders of Stonehenge by reanalysing charred plant remains from Durrington Walls - a key Neolithic settlement. Using RICHeS-funded access to specialist reference collections and high-resolution microscopy, archaeobotanists will identify the wild plants and wood resources used by the inhabitants of Durrington Walls.
The findings will shed light on food provisioning, ecological zones exploited, and the movement of resources across Britain offering new knowledge into Neolithic life and help reconstruct woodland surrounding the site.
“Use of wild plant foods in the Late Neolithic is an intriguing prospect as there is little evidence for crops at Durrington Walls. Identifying the wild plant resources at Durrington Walls will help reveal the plants consumed by the builders of Stonehenge in daily life and during feasting.” Dr Catherine Longford
The RICHeS Access Fund Catalyst has awarded funding to five innovative projects set to redefine how heritage science drives research, conservation, and public engagement across the UK. These projects demonstrate the transformative potential of cutting-edge science to unlock knowledge and empower the heritage community, safeguarding nationally significant history for generations to come.
“Support from RICHeS will enable higher-level identification of wild seed remains, with benefits for wider research into the Neolithic.” Ellen Simmons